From Bench to Community
IRPC Public Company Limited
There have been approximately 2,800 amputees who have received a total of 3,301 prosthetic legs throughout 2011 to 2014
INTRODUCTION
Presently there are more than 50,000 lower limb amputees. Most amputees are farmers in rural area in the lower socioeconomic class and thus, cannot afford prosthetic legs. These amputees have to use crutches instead and are deprived from normal lives. Some make their own prosthetics from wood or bamboo to allow themselves to work normally. IRPC PCL wishes to improve the living conditions of these amputees and hence developed the project “From Bench to Community” to donate plastic granules for the Prostheses Foundation of HRH the Princess Mother for their production of prosthetic legs to donate to the amputees in poverty indiscriminately. IRPC also works and cooperates with them for research to improve the quality of the prosthetic legs’ raw material to make them lighter and more durable and thus, improving the life quality of the amputees.
FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGY
IRPC Public Company Limited aims to operate with good governance and responsibility to the society and environment by seeking balance between factors of business, society and environment to develop business. In order to advance sustainably, the interests of the stakeholders must as well be regarded under the concept of CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility which focuses on caring, sharing and respecting the stakeholders. This concept will ultimately lead to the industrial business and the community to co-exist harmoniously in the society, and grow together.ACHIEVEMENT AND IMPACT
IRPC has been donating plastic granule for the Prostheses Foundation in HRH the Princess Mother since 2011 of approximately 25 tons annually to meet their demands and has been cooperating with their researches to develop better and more durable prosthetic legs. Their latest plastic granule product: BANBAX (Antibacterial Polymer) was supplied to them in hopes to reduce the amputees’ sanitation issues regarding bacterial buildups and foul odor. Apart from the prosthetics’ raw materials, IRPC directed and took charge in aiding the amputees near its offices or oil depots to the foundation mobile units or their headquarter in Chiang Mai, free of charge.IRPC also aims to create awareness for its employees toward the benefits of its products to the society and present the society with useful knowledge. In each year, IRPC brings its employees to work with the foundation in various provinces. There have been approximately 2,800 amputees who have received a total of 3,301 prosthetic legs throughout 2011 to 2014.
FUTURE DIRECTION
IRPC will stay determined in its philosophy and projects to improve the life quality of the amputees and support their self-dependence and their ability to maintain their family as people wihout disability. IRPC will cooperate with the foundation for further research in materials, parts, and methods with its plastic granules. In 2015, IRPC will continue cooperating with the foundation to pursue the project “From Bench to Community” in celebration of her royal highness princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 60th birthday on April 2nd 2015 by supplying 60 single axis knee prostheses for children.The said prostheses are to be made with Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW – PE), a widely accepted raw material for prosthetic joints such as knees, hips, and other joints due to its strength, lightness, and durability. IRPC is the first sole producer of this material in Thailand and Southeast Asia. IRPC will also fund the transportation of children and their parents from the 3 southern bordering provinces to try the prosthetics at the foundation headquarter in Chiangmai to provide chances for their better lives and to lighten their burden.
IRPC is one of the Southeast Asia’s pioneer in the integrated petrochemical industry with a refinery and petrochemical complexes located in its own industrial estate in Rayong Province, Thailand. IRPC’s vision is “Leading Integrated Petrochemical Complex in Asia by 2020”
